Give it a chance!!!

Sometimes in life we need to give it a chance in order to become successful or get to where we want to be. “Easier said than done” most of us use this phrase as a defence mechanism to not account for their failures or to just stick to their comfort zones.

How can one get anywhere if he sits in front of the TV with the remote control at full blast? How can anyone be something in life is he sits by the corner discriminating and judging every second person who passes by the street? How can one get to be anywhere in life when he has fear all over his mind?

“Its Impossible!” “I cant do it!” “Im waiting for the right time” ”its too big for me” “there is no money” “im poor” “im suffering” “im all alone, no one is helping me” bla bla bla… shut up and do it.

At the end of the day its your life and only you can make it happen. Firstly and most importantly, nothing is impossible. You can fly if you want to; gravity won’t pull u down- men made it possible.

Secondly, you will never get to do it as long as you keep telling yourself that you can’t do it.

Thirdly, there is no right time, start planning now, and act on the plan. Fourthly, nothing is ever too big for you if you believe. Go out there and make it happen for you, in a manner and way that best suits you.

“money makes the world go round”, and while you still hold on to the belief that you are poor and suffering, you will remain in that state until you change your mind.

I had a particular friend who constantly complains about being alone and no one helps him and all. Guess what? He was alone, suffering and not much people wanted to assist him. He was soaking in his pool of pitty and no one can get him out of there but himself.

Sometimes we need to get up and look in the mirror and smile. Have a strong and positive attitude towards life, no matter how hard it may be. We just need to suck it all up and get it on with life. 

Go make your dream come true. Take that plan, sit on it and give it a chance.

Lawrence the Volunteer

It all started with a smile, followed by a handover of a business card. From that moment on, I had hoped that I had made a good impression and potential employment will follow. Yes this hope indeed became a reality when I was employed as the Communications Assistant, even though I was a volunteer. After completing my B.tech Degree I decided to take on a volunteer role at a non-governmental organisation. A wise man once said to me in order to receive what you want you must give willingly and don’t just give because you have to, do it with passion, love and dedication. So that’s what I set my mind into doing and I surely loved it.

The staff at the foundation was welcoming and supporting to an extent whereby I did not feel like a volunteer. Even though some of my friends kept telling me that I deserve better that R200 a week, I was not brought down or discouraged. I simply loved my job, and the people I work for.

I took every second as a golden moment and did not take into consideration the negativity that particular colleagues spat every now and then. My role was to assist the communications manager. And one day when I am the Editor and chief of a well-established publication, I would know how best to treat interns, assistants and volunteers. Day in and day out I blossomed with laughter and smiles.

I for one believe in God, and believe that he had blessed me with the great opportunity to be part of the lively, colourful, soulful and loving foundation. I am truly grateful and wish that my future brightens… There are too many words to say, before I start sounding inappropriate I will end here.

To everyone who I met during my volunteer period, and those who supported me, thank you.

William Shakespeare, Sonnet 116

Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

Mending Wall: an extract

the following poem took me by storm whe i was in matric 2006

Oh, just another kind of outdoor game, One on a side.  It comes to little more: There where it is we do not need a wall: He is all pine and I am apple orchard. My apple trees will never get across And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.

He only says, “Good fences make good neighbours. ”Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder If I could put a notion in his head: “Why do they make good neighbours?  Isn’t it Where there are cows?  But here there are no cows. Before I built a wall I’d ask to know What I was walling in or walling out, And to whom I was like to give offence. Something there is that does not love a wall, That wants it down.”  I could say “Elves” to him, But it’s not elves exactly, and I’d rather He said it for himself.  I see him there Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed. He moves in darkness as it seems to me, Not of woods only and the shade of trees. Robert Frost

Death be not proud

Death be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;

For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow

Die not, poor death, not yet canst thou kill me.

From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,

Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,

And soonest our best men with thee do go,

Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery.

Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings and desperate men,

And dost with poison, war and sickness dwell,

And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well

And better than thy stroke, why swell’st thou then?

One short sleep past, we wake eternally

And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

John Donne

Cape Town 2011

We have reached yet another end of a year… Some of us have lost friends and family members. 2011 was great for some and not one of the best for others.  As you stand wherever you may be, whether it is at the office or street corner, train station or bus stop, you should be grateful that you made it through.

Forgive all those who trespass against you, and do not forget because you will repeat the same mistake, and maybe next time you will not survive the impact. Accept what has happened and move on.

January 2011 I took a turn from the Bizzy and fast highways of Gauteng. The city of Gold was too much for me. As the suitcase Guy, I packed my bags and headed towards the two oceans. The moist wind of the Cape was breath taking and relaxing. Not only the wind was calming, the architect and design of the City brought light to my life.

Like in the city of gold, where the possibility of any streets light having to turn into a spotlight shining on you are great, you are bound to find opportunists who will even use you to get the spotlight to shine on them.

My signature for 2011 is in… my bags are packed and ready to go into 2012 with a bag. XOXO Thanks to All mighty God I made it through.

Much Love

Lawrence Siya. Successful Mzizi

Acceptance of Poor Service Delivery

Sometimes I question if the South African Government departments have adopted the Values of slow paced service delivery (the new Black) or it is poor service delivery in general and there is nothing that can be done.

Has the country come to terms that it will never be changed and they might as well contribute? Where does this come from? Yesterday I was at the South African Police Services (SAPS) offices in cape town CBD to lay a case/complaint or claim for a particular matter. I arrived at about 22:15 and I left at 00:05 I only got the paperwork done and nothing else.

I was instructed to wait for the “Big Man” who seemed to be busy helping a certain Judge- the policeman who attempted to assist me regarded him as “One of the famous Judges In Cape Town”.

I sat there with my paperwork till I decided to make copies and leave. Poor service delivery kept ringing in my mind as I looked around at the clock kept ticking. I wondered if I was the sun of a certain minister or judge, will I have sat there in from of the desk, waiting to be assisted.

Anyway, I accepted the situation and enjoyed the stupid, witty float-less conversations with the useless men and women in blue.

Happily ever after!

As humans we have the need to be loved, the need to belong to a social group or a structure. We sometimes go through extreme measures to fulfil this need. We not only want to fulfil this need, we have expectation from the fulfilment. We hope and dream to live happily ever after.

To be exact and to the point, I’m talking about relationships. As humans we long to be with the perfect partner, and have the most perfect relationship filled with joy, laughter and smiles. Im sorry to be the one to tell you that “Happily ever after” only exists in “Hollywood” and maybe “BOLLYWOOD”

The minute you walk into a relationship, you will need to adjust to the next person’s lifestyle, believes, conditions and deal with the insecurities. That on its own is a job and a half. There may be no clashes, but internally you most definitely will.

Keep in mind that this is my personal opinion, and that that’s how Siya sees it…

The Curriculum Vitae

This is the CV that goes to the job applications... I just want to know whether it may be great or if it may need some serious editing...

PERSONAL DETAILS                                                    

Name:                                    Lawrence, Siyabonga

Surname:                              Mzizi

ID:                                           880000 000 080

Sex:                                        male

Nationality:                           South African

Address:                               CPUT, Masimanyane residence,

Gore Street, Cape Town,                           

Postal code:                        8000

Cell Number:                       083 000 0000

E-mail:                                   lawrencemzizi@gmail.com

Languages:                         Zulu, Tshwana, Sesotho, English

Occupation:                         B.Tech student at University (CPUT)

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Institution:                            Tshwane University of Technology

Course:                                 Certificate in Introduction to  Communications and

                                                Marketing

Year:                                      2007

Institution:                            Tshwane University of Technology

Course:                                 Diploma in Public Relations Management

Year:                                      2007- 2010                                       

_____________________________________________________

Institution:                      Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Course:                                 B.Tech in Public Relations Management

Year:                                      2011

Major subjects:                   Media studies 3

                                                Communication Science 4

                                                Public Relations 4

                                                Management Practice 4

                                                Research Methodology

Name of Organisation:      Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa

Occupation:                         Public Relations Intern (Volunteer)

Type of Organisation:       NPO.

Period:                                  9 November- 15 December 2011

Name of Organisation:      Design Development & Research Conference 11

Occupation:                         Delegate assistant

Type of organisation:       Educational Institution Conference

Period:                                  23-27 September 2011

Name of Organisation:      Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Occupation:                         Student Tutor/ Admin assistnt

Type of organisation:       Educational institution

Period:                                  8 Months

Name of Organisation:      Proactive Hygiene Solution

Occupation:                         Student Intern

Type of organisation:       Branding Solutions

Period:                                  6 Months

Organisation:                      Khungwini Welfare Organisation

Project:                                 9 Months CSI Project by Tshwane University of Technology

Type of business:              N.G.O

Type of job:                                     Fundraiser

Group Name:                       Enorpro. Communications

Initiators of project:           Department of public Relations and Business Communication. (TUT)

Name of Organisation:      South African Association for Conference Industry

Occupation:                         task team for SAACI conference 2009

Type of organisation:       Industry Association

REFERENCES:

Nuha                                       Communications Manager

                                                Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa

                                                O21 000 6450

Warda Peck                            Supervisor

                                                Cape Peninsula University of Technology

                                                Department of Public Relations

                                                021 000 0087

Lauren Dyers:                         021 000 0000

                                               

Naomi:                                    021 000 0052

Secretary at Public Relations Department CPUT

Mmabatho Kgatuke:               Proactive HS

                                                Senior Sales Rep Manager

                                                073 000 000

                                                (Internship supervisor)

You Owe no one an explanation

You owe no one an explanation… there is no need! Some people have taken it upon themselves to explain themselves and their conditions to society. I would like to remind you that you were born alone into this world, and before you were born, society was discussing issues and conditions of other people who have made it public debate. Your life should be personal to an extent, and what you are doing with it should be totally up to you.  There is no need to send out a press release or hold a press conference to explain the progress of your life to society.

The homeless are who they are because of their own reasons affected or influenced by the decisions earlier in their lives. This also goes for the prostitutes who stand at the street corners in the middle of the night, the patients at the rehear institutions, the sick HIV+ individuals and those whose lives rely on ARV’s, the cancer patients who go to chemotherapy 3 to 4 times a week, the taxi drivers at the lowest rank in society, and the domestic workers who sit at the suburban street corners under the boiling sun, just for a daily gossip with their mates, raving about their madams. Be it whatever condition it may be, whether you have failed your exam or recently lost your job. You owe no other human being an explanation.

It is your own business what goes on in your life. You may have made bad decisions in the past, which may have appeared as the best at that moment. All you need to do is learn from them, move on and enjoy the rest of your life while it lasts. There is no need to explain.

The statute of limitations has expired on most of our childhood trauma

He stood there in the middle of the room holding a baseball bet on one hand and a knife on the other. He had locked the doors and had the keys to the whole house in his back pocket- the house was designed with three exits, one on the front, one at the kitchen and one that took you to the backyard. “Sit on the couch and listen to me clearly and carefully” the bossy man instructed them.

The looks of fear on their faces were outlined and made clear by the designer lights in the living room. “no one is going to tell me what to do, I will make the decisions from now on!” –the smell that came from the men was disgusting and unbearable.  

“I am the one who is going to tell you what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. You will answer the phone when I tell you to…” he continued with his instructions, while the fear on their faces was sketched out so clear you could trace it.

They seemed to be used to this form of treatment, but the girl was bitter and ensured revenge, judging by the look on her face. “Don’t look at me like that, this is my house, I make the decisions around here, and if you don’t listen I will kill you”.

He shoved the girl in her room and viciously beat up the wife. The was nothing she could do but she could do but sit in the other room, locked up and listen to her mother being beaten up over nothing. When she got to the Police Station the answer was: There is nothing that we can do, let them solve their own problems.

The law of limitations has indeed expired on most of our childhood trauma.

Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid

 

“I THINK that he is cheating on me again!” “I found a business card in the pocket of his trousers” “I went through his apartment and found stuff” “he dosed off when he was on Mxit and I saw the messages, he is actually cheating! Why does it have happen to me?”

We go on and on complaining and telling our friends about how ungrateful our partners may be. But the funny thing is that we still insist on staying in the messed up relationship and still try to find ways to glue together the broken pieces of the mirror. We then hope that the reflection will turn out to be as it were before it broke, but sadly it could just never be.

Let me tell you something that you don’t want to hear, they will never change. It’s like a slap in your face isn’t it? But it’s the truth. If you have been played by that person once, the chances of him doing it again are greater than before the time you caught him.  

Do not get mislead by the term “him” which I use to describe the phenomena. I am actually referring to both genders. If you had created the conclusion that “Men are dogs” you might just have to take that back because it is the just the same with the opposite sex.

For a moment I would like you to ask yourself the following: How many times are you going to keep digging for the next dirt? How many times are you going to keep turning and tossing on that bed stressing over something that does not have a promising future? When are you going to let go of the fear of being alone?  When are you going to stop lying to yourself? When are you going to come to terms that there is no such thing as happily ever after? Why are you still in that relationship when you are unhappy and insecure? When will the insecurity end? Why is your happiness determined by the next person?

Most of the time the response to these questions are: “you just don’t understand, we come from far” or “I have invested so much into this relationship”. Well that still does not give a solution to the situation nor an answer. Make a decision and live with the consequences.

If and when you are in such a relationship, here is my advice to you, be bold, make firm decisions- not that not everyone will like you regardless- and maybe the mighty force will be to your aid.

Of all the forms of courage the ability to laugh is the most important one…

The ability for one to laugh brings light and joy to one’s life. When I used to be a child, I would play the most dangerous games like flying the kite on the roof of the house, swim at the river nearby and push car tires on the dusty streets of Soweto.

When I fall down I used to cry, and one day I fell, and there was a moment of silent among my friends and brother. I felt the giggles coming from my tummy and I burst into laughter. That moment, right the on the concrete tar, under the boiling sun, I learnt that of all the forms of courage, the ability to laugh is the most important, especially when you are laughing at yourself.  

Only bad things happen quickly

“I blinked and it was gone” “It was here a second ago” “It came from nowhere” “bang, and it was over” “it was shaking and before we knew it, we were in hospital” these are the explanation that we hear from people who have experienced terrifying events happening to them. It all happened so fast, thank God I’m alive- a woman once said on a newspaper report when two trains had collided.

Is this how it is supposed to be? Perhaps it is nature that bad things happen at high speed. Let’s think about it. Bullets complete the job faster, lightning strike quicker, accidents happen in a blink of an eye.

How true can this be? Only bad things really happen fast!

A Blog for my Bestfriend on his Birthday!

25  of years to the minute, you were born... The pain that that was in the mist of the hour turned into joy because ur took the breath of life... She had hopes and dreams for you and tried her out most best that those do come true...

A birthday is not a day where u have to get drunk or be stressed about life, or how things have not turned as u wanted them to but a day to celebrate your live here on earth.

Cherish every second of today because it will only come once. Smile because you were meant to, laugh because deserve to, cry because ur are more than the word happy. Dance because now you can, love because your heart allows you to.

I bless the day you were born because to this day you are an inspiration and the best friend God has ever blessed me with.

As your life has begun again, and it is as good as it gets. Promise me to Just keep living it day by day with no regrets... All the decision you made in the past, good or bad got to where you are now, and  I'm proud of you.

Look at yourself in the mirror, You see that guy? can u feel what he is feeling now? Let me tell you something, He is going places. No matter what the next person may say about you or your conditions, You are the best!!!  

Come on, wipe those tears off your face now... You made it!

Gwa! Say it with Passion. Remember me with this signature and  keep the spirit going...

Much Love
Your Best friend
Siya...

The last lecture

This year has been a long bumpy ride for me, interesting and filled with life lessons. I met the most unbelievable people and the most interesting at the same time. The first lesson was filled with promises and I looked ford to spending a new year, in a new place with new people. It was a process of starting all over again if I may simplify it.

Pearl Faith Boltman, became my first Cape Town friend. She had recently completed her diploma in Travel and Tourism, so my arrival was quiet interesting. I had figured out that she was coloured, but her behaviour stroked me. She reminded me of the girl who lives next door my parents’ house- black wild and a glowing sense of humour.

There was no way my year could be heading towards boredom when I met Rebecca Moloto- "Brenda!” as pearl would call her when she is in her jolly moods. Brenda is not her other name, she just reminded her of a late musician Brenda Fassie. Whatever that’s going through you mind now, probably went through mine as well anyway.

When pearl had decided to go on an adventure, leaving me with no one to giggle with in class as some lectures spoke funny, I kept my bond with Rebecca and recruited Wendy Motsisi. I must say, this is the moment my life changed. I adopted a unique style of living and behaved in quiet a blissful way. I enjoyed every second with these witty and smart individuals.

Now that the final day had come, and none of them were in class, I embraced the moment, and thank God for every opportunity he has given me. There were good times, and there were bad, either one, I just had fun.